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Shaun White Is One Of The Richest Winter Olympians. Here's How He Makes And Spends His Millions

Shaun White may be best known for his snowboarding and skateboarding skills, but the two-time Olympic gold medalist has also managed to parlay his athletic career into an impressive financial portfolio — becoming a millionaire before he turned 20 thanks to plentiful endorsement deals.

Despite his high-flying lifestyle now, White didn’t grow up rich — his mother was a waitress and his dad worked at a water utility company in California, according to Fast Company. But his snowboarding career changed all that — and he now has dozens of endorsement deals worth million of dollars each, ranging from contracts with global corporations to more niche companies like GoPro.

White, 31, changed talent agencies last year, moving from Creative Artists Agency to sign with the United Talent Agency, where he said he wants to “grow my various businesses.” Business savvy aside, White also knows how to have fun. He bought a Lamborghini at one point, but says he totaled it the first month he owned it. He also recently published his memoir, F*** It: I’m Here to Win, which includes journal entries, photographs and even art made by White.

His longtime success as an athlete has earned him a massive net worth ranging between $20 million and $40 million — making him one of the richest winter Olympians — though it’s hard to nail down an exact figure. What we do know is that he’s been aggressively investing in real estate as well as other projects.

Before White prepared to compete in the halfpipe final on Tuesday, allegations against him of sexual harassment resurfaced. White settled a 2016 lawsuit brought by a former drummer in his rock band that he “repeatedly sexually harassed her.”

Here’s what we know about how White makes and spends his money:

Real estate

White may be known for his flips on mountains, but the extreme athlete has also made a name for himself buying and flipping some stunning real estate across the country.

Investments

The “Flying Tomato” is one smart cookie — White purchased a minority stake in Mammoth Resorts, the company that runs Mammoth Mountain in 2016, reportedly making a “seven-digit” investment. That made him a part of owner of more than 4, 000 acres of land in California, according to the Los Angeles >Times.

After more than two decades on the slopes, he has a laundry list of sponsorships and endorsements for which he reportedly earns at least $2 million per deal, according to Forbes. His longest deal is with snowboard manufacturer Burton, which he signed with at just seven years old. He and his brother Jesse have designed everything from underwear to snowboarding boots for the brand.

White also helped Oakley develop their first-ever signature goggles, which became one of their best sellers in the early 2000s, as well as collaborating with the brand to design one of their best-selling pairs of sunglasses.

Additionally, he’s cemented deals with major corporations like Verizon, Target and HP, which tapped White to appeal to a younger audience in a series of commercials that also starred celebrities like Serena Williams and Jay-Z. He’s also recently inked endorsement deals with numerous other organizations including Beats by Dr. Dre, Red Bull, Ubisoft and Playstation — though it’s unclear how much he makes from these partnerships.

Personal projects

On top of the hefty endorsement deals, White owns a smartphone app called Downhill Dash and has released multiple video games.

His first video game, “Shaun White Snowboarding,” — which became a franchise — came out in 2008 and sold more than 3 million copies, according to ESPN. White also became the majority owner in an international music and sports festival called Air + Style four years ago.

And at age 29, White debuted a clothing line called WHT Space, a hands-on collaboration with Macy’s.

Correction: The original version of this article incorrectly described Shaun White’s role in the purchase of two California ski resorts. White is a minority stakeholder in Mammoth Resorts, the company that spent $38 million to buy the resorts, he did not purchase them himself. It also misidentified AT&T as a sponsor of his.